McHenry County high school sports roundup for Saturday, May 28

Cary-Grove’s softball team rallied late to knock off Vernon Hills, 10-8, in eight innings in the Class 3A Ridgewood Regional final on Saturday in Norridge to secure the Trojans first regional championship since 2011.

Becca Weaver (3 for 4, double, two RBIs) and Gwenn Moran (2 for 5, three RBIs, two runs) each hit home runs for the Trojans (11-16-1) in a three-run top of the eighth inning. C-G gave up a run in the bottom half but held on for the win.

Cary-Grove advances to play Wauconda in a Lakes Sectional semifinal at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The Trojans trailed, 4-2, going into the top of the seventh and scored five times, including three runs with two outs, to take a 7-4 lead. Vernon Hills came back with three runs in the bottom half, sending the game into extra innings.

Kaley Koltz went 2 for 4 with a double and two runs, Emily Green went 3 for 5 with a double and three RBIs, and Allison Garski had two hits and one RBI. Grace Kaiser tallied a double and drove in three, and Madilynn Crick scored three runs.

Weaver took picked up the win, going all eight innings for the Trojans. She allowed eight runs (five earned) on 10 hits, striking out four and walking three.

BASEBALL

Richmond-Burton 9, Byron 3: At Stillman Valley, the Rockets beat the Tigers in a Class 2A Stillman Valley Sectional final to capture their first sectional title since 2012. R-B advances to meet Timothy Christian in a Rivets Stadium Supersectional at 1 p.m. Monday in Rockford.

R-B (30-5), which added on to its team record for wins in a season, grabbed a 4-0 lead after 1 1/2 innings against Byron and never looked back.

Kaden Neuman and Joe Mrowiec (2 for 4, two doubles) each had two RBIs for the Rockets. Connor Wallace was 2 for 3 with two doubles, two runs and one RBI, and Hayden Christiansen had a double and knocked in one. Brock Wood added two hits and a run.

Wallace started and earned the win, giving up three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts and three walks. Mrowiec pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out three.

Jacobs 5, Grant 3: At Fox Lake, Christian Graves homered for the Eagles in the Class 4A Grant Regional championship victory, the team’s first regional title since 2016.

Graves went 3 for 4 at the plate and drove in three runs. Keegan Connors was 1 for 3 with two runs scored. Quinn Butera was 1 for 2 with an RBI, and Nick Gottfried was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Nathan Chapman struck out six in six innings. Graves finished the game and struck out three in the final inning to earn the save.

Huntley 18, Harlem 1 (4 inn.): At DeKalb, the Red Raiders ran away from the Huskies to win the Class 4A DeKalb Regional final. Huntley (30-4) scored six runs in the first and added 11 in the second.

Huntley will play Jacobs in the Jacobs Sectional semifinals at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

Brayden Bakes (3 for 3, two RBIs, three runs) and Kyle Alther both had home runs for Huntley. Michael Wanhala (2 for 3, two doubles, two runs) and Brandon Hanley both drove in a pair of runs, Joey Garlin was 3 for 3 with three runs and an RBI, and Nick Martino scored twice.

Adam Guazzo gave up a run in two innings with four strikeouts. Malachi Paplanus pitched two scoreless innings, also striking out four.

Hononegah 9, Hampshire 2: At Rockton, Austin Leonard homered, but the Whip-Purs lost in the Class 4A Hononegah Regional final.

Leonard went 2 for 4 with a run scored and two RBIs. Daniel Rodriguez was 1 for 3 with a run, and Matthew Karbowski added a hit.

Austin Ernst struck out two in 4 1/3 innings.

Crystal Lake South 6, Carmel 2: At Crystal Lake, Ryan Skwarek hit a three-run homer to lead the Gators to a the Class 3A Crystal Lake South Regional championship victory.

Skwarek went 2 for 3 with three RBIs and a run, Joey McEnery drove in a run, and Mason Struck was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Mark DeCicco struck out four in 5 1/3 innings to pick up the win.

McHenry 8, Streamwood 3: At Algonquin, the Warriors opened the scoring early with five runs in the first inning and maintained their lead to capture the Class 4A Dundee-Crown Regional championship. McHenry will face Hononegah in a Jacobs Sectional semifinal at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Eddie Synek went 1 for 3 with a homer and two RBIs. Cole Kersten was 3 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs scored, Connor Rodgers was had two RBIs, and Ricky Powell drove in one.

Kyle Kaempf struck out six in 3 2/3 innings.

Grayslake Central 2, Cary-Grove 1 (8 inn.): At Grayslake, the Rams defeated the Trojans in a pitchers’ duel to secure the Class 3A Grayslake Central Regional title. Both team were held to only four hits, with Grayslake Central’s Zach Hindman providing a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth.

Ethan Dorchies started for the Trojans, allowing a run on two hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked none. Peter Conneen threw the final 1 1/3 innings, giving up a run on two hits with one strikeout and no walks.

Zack LaBrec was 1 for 4 with a double and an RBI for C-G. Toby Splitt, Antonio SantaCruz (1 for 2, run) and Connor Lueck also added hits in the loss.

BOYS TENNIS

Class 1A state tournament: Crystal Lake South senior Jackson Schuetzle lost to Chicago University’s Dash Smith, 6-3, 6-4, to end his state run in the consolation quarterfinals. Schuetzle ended with a 4-2 record at the state meet after winning his first two matches.

Schuetzle received the Tom Pitchford Sportsmanship Award in 1A.

Class 2A state tournament: Jacobs senior Thomas Nelson beat Glenbrook North’s Konrad Kwiatkowski, 6-4, 6-2, in the consolation quarterfinals before losing to Barrington’s Pranav Gadiraju, 3-6, 6-3, 11-9, in the consolation semifinals to end his tournament run.

Nelson finished the tournament with a 4-2 record and received the Tom Pitchford Sportsmanship Award in 2A.